#surrender attorney

[clown-bear]

I surrender every dream

Every weapon you've got

Every secret that I keep

[xtruss]

The Mug Shot Seen Round The World: Donald Trump’s Forever Photo

Once seen, the Indicted Former President’s Jail Picture is Impossible to Forget. It cannot be Deleted from the National Memory.

— Perspective By Karen Heller, Staff Writer | The Washington Post | August 25, 2023

Former president Donald Trump's mug shot taken at the Fulton County Jail on Thursday evening. (Fulton County Sheriff's Office)

A picture may be worth a thousand words. Donald Trump’s Fulton County mug shot is worth all that and 13 counts in the Georgia indictment filed last week.

Trump, 77, is known for mugging for the camera. Now, he has a mug shot, the first former president to be the subject of one. (Also, the first to earn an inmate number: P01135809.) Dominating in the polls for the 2024 GOP nomination and the subject of four separate indictments, Trump is used to playing to the cameras and by his own rules. In an age of Photoshop, AI and airbrushing, of fakery and distrust, the mug shot is authentic and frequently without mercy.

How does Trump look, dressed in a navy suit, crisp white shirt and red tie? Perturbed. Here for the business. Like the camera is his opponent on the political battlefield and in the courtroom, a stand-in for Fulton County District Attorney Fani T. Willis. Brows slanted into acute angles; his recorded “blonde or strawberry” hair, a meringue, almost airborne, at odds with the gravity of his countenance.

His eyes tilt up toward the camera while his chin pulls south. In his booking record, Trump states that he is 6-foot-3 and weighs 215 pounds, almost 30 pounds lighter than his White House physical in June 2020. Trump’s right side, partially draped in shadow, creates a touch of chiaroscuro, light reckoning with the dark. The mug shot is positively Baroque.

Will the image be weaponized by Trump supporters and detractors? Undoubtedly. Will it become ubiquitous? Unquestionably.

Trump’s image was ordered to “try and embarrass him,” daughter-in-law Lara Trump told Newsmax on Wednesday, claiming it’s “going to backfire on them.” Among Trump supporters, the image is “going to be on posters and people’s dorm rooms. It’s going to be on T-shirts.”

It’s the mug shot seen round the world.

This is the week the lights went on in Georgia. The Fulton County Jail in Atlanta became the processing center for Trump and 18 co-defendants in the Georgia indictment charging that they broke the law in attempting to reverse Joe Biden’s 2020 election victory. The jail dispensed a steady album of mug shots like a law-enforcement Fotomat.

mug shot is forever. Once seen, it is impossible to be unseen. It cannot be deleted from the internet or national memory. It’s a visual bullet that sears. It frames defendants in a photographic holding cell, captive, often blasted with severe lighting at unflattering angles. The mug shot is the antithesis of a selfie, the subject deprived of control. There are no do-overs.

Trump’s love affair with the camera is among his most enduring and primary relationships, essential to his profound ardor of the spotlight. In his homes, he likes to surround himself with his likeness. In images, he is prone to pouting and squinting so he resembles Winston Churchill, per a 2017 New York Times report. Aides told the outlet that he is also an exacting editor of published images.

A cluster of the first nine defendant images released Wednesday appeared in three stacked rows like some RICO-alleged version of “Hollywood Squares” or “The Brady Bunch.” Here you are, yoked together in one of life’s least desirable photo collections. Even before Trump boarded a plane from New Jersey, Photoshoppers went into overdrive crafting alternate mug shots of him and his co-defendants for internet consumption.

Former Trump attorney Kenneth Chesebro's mug shot, taken at the Fulton County Jail in Atlanta on Wednesday. (Fulton County Sheriff's Office)

In every mug shot, the Fulton County sheriff’s seal hovers in the left-hand corner as a constant Let’s not forget why you’re all here. Many of the images appear to be shot from a camera positioned above the defendants, which is why many of them gaze skyward in their mug shots, as if to visually reinforce that the criminal justice system is up here and that alleged scofflaws are beholden to our rules, our authority.

Former Trump chief of staff Mark Meadows’s shot is a watery blur. Lawyer John Eastman, blanched by light, looks haunted, a specter. Lawyer Ray S. Smith III features a dangerous Elvis-like curl. Lawyer Kenneth Chesebro, his impressive forehead aglow, resembles a miserable version of Kyle MacLachlan’s FBI Special Agent Dale Cooper in “Twin Peaks.” (Then again, Agent Cooper often looked miserable.) Lawyer Sidney Powell eschewed the animal prints and emphatic accessories for a crisp white top, her chin tucked.

Former Trump adviser Rudy Giuliani poses for his mug shot Wednesday. (Fulton County Sheriff's Office)

Departing his home en route to Georgia on Wednesday, former Trump adviser and former U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York Rudy Giuliani said: “I get photographed. Isn’t that nice? A mug shot for the man who probably put the worst criminals of the 20th century in jail.” In his 21st-century photo, Giuliani gives off Uncle Leo vibes from “Seinfeld.”

For her mug shot, former Trump campaign attorney Jenna Ellis presents a generous, school photo day smile, a radical break with jailhouse imagery, as though she is visiting Georgia for a peach festival and belongs to an alternate, felicitous group of alleged co-conspirators. Surrender? Ellis’s photo says, “Happy to be here, Sheriff Pat Labat.”

Former Trump campaign attorney Jenna Ellis smiles for her mug shot. (Fulton County Sheriff's Office)

Who smiles sober for a mug shot or government-issued IDs? For passport photos, the U.S. State Department requests “a neutral facial expression with both eyes open and mouth closed.” On X, the social platform formerly known as Twitter, Ellis suggested the mug shot was her “#NewProfilePic,” the wide grin rooted in her faith, quoting Psalms, “Be glad in the Lord and rejoice, you righteous ones.” In a matter of hours, and now a million views, the mug shot had become a source of pride, an image to behold.

Just before 10 p.m. Thursday, Trump posted his photo on X, “MUG SHOT — August 24, 2023,” proclaiming “Election Interference,” “Never Surrender!” and listed his campaign website address, where the Fulton County jail image is prominently featured and there is, indeed, already mug shot merch for sale ($34 for a “Never Surrender!” T-shirt). It was his first post on the social media platform since he was banned in January 2021.

[periwinkla]

Ultimately, I believe ace attorney is a tale about love. How far are you willing to go for the people you love? But also, how far are you going to fall for them? Most of this love is platonic, not even romantic in nature / could or could not be seen as such, but really the crux of the matter is that regardless, it all stems from a place of deep affection and/or adoration. Phoenix both became a better person but sacrificed and risked so much because of love, even compromising his integrity and morality at some point. First love for his lost friend, then love for a girl who made him feel adored, then love for his lost mentor and her sister which he couldn't leave alone, then love for a child he needed to provide for. Miles completely and utterly destroyed himself but later glued back the pieces together in order to become better because he felt guilty for his beloved father's death, and later felt guilty for disgracing his legacy. But also his love for his friends and family gave him courage to make himself better. He charters private jets at the drop of an hat and surrenders his badge and breaks the law if need be. Franziska's love for her father made her ruthless and amoral, but her love for her little brother made her a better person. She assists in his and Phoenix's absurd plan to play at defense attorney, helps save Maya, then assists Miles in his cause for Kay. Lana's love for her sister made her throw her morals out the window, ruining the life of many people. But her love for her little sister also made her realize her mistakes and atone for them. Iris loved her sister despite it all and that corrupted her into betrayal, but she also loved Phoenix, and that gave her the courage to realize her mistakes and atone for them. Love is the reason for most plot points - it leads the storyline. It can cause both positive and negative outcomes and I really appreciate the realism in that. The characters truly care for each other, there's just so much love in AA.

[ixiot-ghostrebel]

Sagau another episode of reader getting pissed of for someone insulting some of thier favourites while begin bored when someone insults the reader to the point of counting how many times someone used some type of insult

Lyney and lynette begin bad mouthed becose they are form house of hearts reader will just launch a lawsuit for badmouthing thier favorites

Furina begin insulted by some pepole whonate not form Fontaine well the reader will want to throw them and drown under water thoses pepoles

That random who interrupts childe when he was talking to traveler and reader in fontain.....well begin punching bag for fatui harnbringer is now a mercy compared to how much the reader who......PURCHESE THE STEAM ROLLER AND DRIVES OVER ON THIS MO-* sorry for tehicaly dificulty*

PART 3 IT IS BABY LET'S GOOOOOOOOOOO

Thank you so much for requesting, @zardas75 ! I would've been more dead otherwise lol :')

Click Me For Part 1! Click Me For Part 2!

When Someone Insults Lyney, Lynette, Furina, and Childe! (No Vice Versa Today, Sorry!)

(Warning: Slight Spoilers to 4.0 Archon Quest & Might be OOC!)

Lyney

He was utterly flabbergasted that you would go out of your way for Lynette and he. I mean sure—he felt absolutely blessed and grateful that you would personally be his attorney (along with the Traveler & Paimon), but he did not expect you to jump on people that were insulting him because...of where his origin lies with.

It wasn't surprising that the entirety of Fontaine came to hear about the court case that held trial to press charges for a murder he didn't commit. so Lyney can't say he wasn't expecting the rumors, but you? Yeah, you were an entirely different wildcard than to those he's usually familiar with.

Lemme tell you, he was not prepared for you to be all up in the harasser's merchandise. If this was a trial duel to defend one's honor—you were not the champion duelist that made the opponent surrender. You were the opponent about to end the champion duelist's entire career.

This harasser was good at trash talking and gossiping—they were quite a hard opponent to overcome and beat, and here's you running your mouth about them and quite literally ending their career in a matter of minutes.

As much as Lyney would find this amusing after 5 minutes of overcoming the shock, some of the things you were saying were....a little too horrifying he'll be honest. So, rather to save himself than the insulter, he smoothly interrupts your "conversation."

"Ah, Your Grace! Welcome Back to Fontaine! May I Have the Pleasure to show you our latest magic tricks? Lynette and I have been practicing for our upcoming show!"

With your *cough* favoritism *cough* good mood shining through the previous rage that befelled your face, you of course accept to see more magic tricks appear out of the Great Magician twins!

And that was how Lyney hopes to never get you in a bad mood ever in your stay in Fontaine. He doesn't want to see you smiting anyone for anyone.

Lynette

She's like Lyney, but more muted. She's honored that you would protect she and Lyney from this insulter, but if she was to give her opinion, it wasn't anything she couldn't handle. After all, with being well-known, there was bound to be both ups and downs eventually.

She'll admit, she was...pretty afraid after hearing many of the things you were spitting at the rapidly paling face of the insulter in front of you. After all, smiting people with the wrath of the power beyond all the gods was...terrifying and a true force to be reckoned with.

She's immediately helping Lyney to distract you from the situation while also giving well-hidden death glares at the insulter for making you mad. The last thing they needed was for you to deem Fontaine not a good nation.

"Tada~ I hope you liked that magic trick, Your Grace...If you would like, I can reserve a ticket for the best seat at our upcoming magic show for you to watch."

Lynette is both afraid and awe-struck of your abilities as the Creator. That doesn't mean she'll show it, of course.

Furina

In my personal opinion, I think Furina is both loved and hated by the people of Teyvat. While she is mostly loved by her nation, others (like Neuvillette) can't stand her or her enigmaticness.

You, as the Creator, understand both love and hate, but of course choose to love Furina regardless of her...dramatic and soap opera-levelled ideas. While you can respect other people's opinions...cursing and badly insulting them was just crossing the line for you. And you were not going to let it pass without planting your foot down first.

And, of course, Furina soaks up everything you said like a sponge to water. You, the Creator, beyond Celestia itself, were willing to defend her? If this were a live soap opera in the Opera Epiclese, Furina would say she was a 100% fan of you!

Alas, as much as she loves for you to go on, she is an idol within Fontaine. The last thing she needs is for her own people to think Fontaine might get smitten because of one insulter. After all, gossip changes the raw truth to make itself more interesting.

"Ah, Your Grace! I just so happens to realize that there will be a trial held in the Opera Epiclese. For, if you have the time to spare, wish to find new inspiration for your next creations, please—allow I, Lady Furina, to escort you there! Hehe, I can certainly garuantee that you will get the V.I.P. view up there with me!~"

And, since you have a soft spot for Furina, you happily accept. After all, you can get to know the Hydro Archon better than before, even if you don't like court sessions! It's a win-win for you. And at least that insulter will now think before striking again.

Next thing you know, gossip around Fontaine says that those who are granted visions are personally favored forevermore by the Creator, and that you should never cross with one else you face the wrath above the gods.

Childe

Boy oh boy...If you are an old Tartaglia/Childe Fan, this is for you. You were absolutely ecstatic that Childe was in Fontaine! I mean—he even came in the game's archon quest in a badass-ish way!

And OF COURSE you had to teach the guy annoying your boy a lesson. Like, hello??? You blind??? This is your boy here! What is this old man thinking?

So of course, you did. And you gave that man quite the scare. The Traveler and Paimon look at you taking this situation as both a physical and verbal showdown very calmly, since this wasn't exactly the first time you blew up at people.

Childe, however? Boy, he's taking notes. Your threats and insults were very interesting and unique—as expected of the Creator. And the fact you just summon a bamboo stick outta thin air and proceeded to give the man some back problems? The harbinger's wondering if he can borrow that idea as inspiration...

Nevertheless, he doesn't want to deal with court just yet, so he'll (unfortunately) step in and save this person's backside. Besides, he still owes mora to Northland Bank.

"Ahaha, Your Grace! Your prowress seems to only become stronger and even more gracious since we last met—as expected!" He grins at you. "How 'bout you leave him to me, though? He still owes the bank some mora."

And so you watched Childe beat up the man and yk the rest is history. Safe to say you were somewhat satisfied. One thing's for sure though—Childe 100% dedicated this battle to you. You did give him some inspiration to fight, after all!

AND WE ARE DONE! I hope you all enjoyed it :)

Ghost Rebel Side Notes: Gosh, this took longer than i expected...I'm sorry everybody! IRL stuff has been hitting me like Truck-kun and there wasn't that much of a good time to properly sit down and write. I swear I'm not dying just yet!

Also, to whoever who shall be merciful to my very ghostful soul—please send in some Freminet requests—I must write for my boy. 🐧

✦ Check out The Ghost Rebel’s Blog Description & Info Page to See if Their Mailbox is Open! ✦

[reasonsforhope]

Donald Trump charged in Georgia for efforts to overturn the 2020 election

Link here, because WaPo's security measures stop Tumblr previews. Non-paywall link here.

"Former president Donald Trump and 18 others were criminally charged in Georgia on Monday in connection with efforts to overturn Joe Biden’s 2020 victory in the state, according to an indictment made public late Monday night [on August 14, 2023].

Trump was charged with 13 counts, including violating the state’s racketeering act, soliciting a public officer to violate their oath, conspiring to impersonate a public officer, conspiring to commit forgery in the first degree and conspiring to file false documents.

The Recap

The historic indictment, the fourth to implicate the former president, follows a 2½-year investigation by Fulton County District Attorney Fani T. Willis (D). The probe was launched after audio leaked from a January 2021 phone call during which Trump urged Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger (R) to question the validity of thousands of ballots, especially in the heavily Democratic Atlanta area, and said he wanted to “find” the votes to erase his 2020 loss in the state.

Willis’s investigation quickly expanded to other alleged efforts by Trumpor his supporters, including trying to thwart the electoral college process, harassing election workers, spreading false information about the voting process in Georgia and compromising election equipment in a rural county. Trump has long decried the Georgia investigation as a “political witch hunt,” defending his calls to Raffensperger and others as “perfect.”

The Details

“Trump and the other Defendants charged in this Indictment refused to accept that Trump lost, and they knowingly and willfully joined a conspiracy to unlawfully change the outcome of the election in favor of Trump,” the indictment states.

A total of 41 charges are brought against 19 defendants in the 98-page indictment. Not all face the same counts, but all have been charged with violating the Georgia Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act. Willis said she has given those charged until Aug. 25 to surrender.

Among those charged are Rudy Giuliani, the former New York mayor who served as Trump’s personal attorney after the election; Trump’s former White House chief of staff Mark Meadows; and several Trump advisers, including attorneys John Eastman, Sidney Powell and Kenneth Chesebro...

Prosecutors brought charges around five subject areas: false statements by Trump allies, including Giuliani, to the Georgia legislature; the breach of voting data in Coffee County; calls Trump made to state officials, including Raffensperger, seeking to overturn Biden’s victory; the harassment of election workers; and the creation of a slate of alternate electors to undermine the legitimate vote. Those charged in the case were implicated in certain parts of what prosecutors presented as a larger enterprise to undermine the election."

-via The Washington Post, August 14, 2023

[togrowoldinv]

Assistant

Natasha Romanoff x Female Reader

Natalie Rushman is the new assistant to hotshot attorney y/n.

Warnings: Smut! 18+ please! Kissing, cursing, fingering (N receiving), oral (R receiving), Wanda

Natasha Romanoff Masterlist 1, Natasha Romanoff Masterlist 2, Main Masterlist

“Good morning, Ms. y/l/n,” you hear a voice ring out from the threshold of your office.

Annoyed by the interruption, you sigh and look up to see who might be bothering you at this hour. You don’t expect to be met with a beautiful redheaded woman, but your curiosity is peaked.

“Who might you be?” you ask the woman.

She enters the office further before she speaks again. “I’m Natalie Rushman, your new assistant.”

You don’t recall interviewing any new assistant candidates, but then again, it’s probably something that your subordinate took care of for you. You didn’t have time for the task.

“Well, Natalie. I have a few rules,” you say with a smirk.

“I’m listening,” she fires back quickly. You think you are going to like her.

“First, you have to think ahead. If you are two steps ahead, you’re already a step behind,” you explain. “Second, I expect you to work when I work. The days and nights are long.”

“I’m up for the challenge,” Natalie replies.

“And finally, do not ask me about anything personal. We’re not here to be friends. We’re here to do a job. Understood?”

“Understood,” she says. There’s a look in her eyes that you can’t quite read, but you ignore it for now.

“Okay then. Welcome to the greatest law firm in the country. Get to work, Ms. Rushman.”

With that, she gets up and goes to her desk outside your door. She doesn’t ask any questions the entire day but seemingly knows exactly when to provide you with assistance.

It’s a month before you truly challenge her at her job. She hears you in your office having a heated conversation with your true rival.

“Wanda, drop the case. Or you won’t like what happens,” you say sternly. You’re standing behind your desk as the other woman challenges you from the other side.

“I’ll take my chances, sweetheart,” she says condescendingly. “See you in court!” Wanda shouts, flipping you off as she walks out of the office.

You notice Natalie watching from her desk.

“In here now,” you command her.

“Yes, Ms. y/l/n?”

You sit back in your chair and rack your brain for what you could actually ask for help with.

“I need everything we have on Wanda Maximoff,” you say.

“Absolutely. On what case?”

“Not a case. On the woman herself.”

“But-”

“This is what I meant by thinking ahead. I’m sorry, can you not do what I’m asking of you?” You are losing your patience. No one quite gets under your skin as Wanda does.

“Consider it done,” Natalie changes her stance at your tone.

She leaves your office to go put a team together to dig up dirt on Wanda, or at least you assume so. You get to work on your own.

By the time Natalie returns with a folder of information, you have already found out the worst details about Wanda.

“What?” you ask the woman as she sits across from you. She is looking you over a little too closely.

“It’s nothing.”

“No, please tell me,” you encourage her, but it is sarcastic in demand.

“Is this really a good idea? To go after her, I mean,” she says.

You stand up from your desk and pace to the drink cart in frustration.

“Why would it be a bad idea? Natalie, she is going after one of my most important clients. I cannot let them sign with her!”

“But why go after her and not her work?” she challenges you.

“I don’t pay you to ask me personal questions.” The sternness of your voice makes Natalie blink hard at you, but she isn’t quite finished.

“I’m sure it was really shitty what Wanda did to you, but you don’t mix business with pleasure, so your logic doesn’t follow,” Natalie explains.

“Just stop, Natalie. I don’t care what you think! Do your goddamn job and stay out of my business!” You slam your hand on your desk in the midst of your anger.

Natalie holds her hands up in surrender and leaves your office. You sit down with a sigh. You never felt bad about yelling at anyone before, but how she looked at you when you did was enough to make you ponder why you felt guilty now.

About thirty minutes later, a food delivery person approaches Natalie’s desk.

“Oh, I’m sorry, I don’t think we ordered anything,” she tells them.

You step out of your office to greet them at the same moment.

“I got us dinner,” you say. You tip the deliverer and gesture for Natalie to follow you into your office.

She sits across from you at the table you often use to work over case files. You get out the food and hand her a share.

“I wanted to apologize for earlier,” you begin. “I shouldn’t have yelled at you.”

“It’s alright. I didn’t follow your rules,” Natalie says. You think she bats her eyes at you, but maybe it’s a figment of your imagination.

“So, tomorrow night is a party for all of the attorneys in the city. It’s a good networking event,” you say. “I need you to come with me so we can get some leads.”

“I’ll be there,” Natalie replies. “I can contact your designer. What kind of dress do you want?”

“Mm, I was kind of thinking of a suit. What do you think?”

“I think you’d look amazing in anything,” she says.

You oddly feel heat creep up your neck in reaction to her words.

“Tell them you need clothes too. A dress, a suit, whatever your choice is. It’s on me,” you tell her.

Natalie smirks at you and puts a reminder on her calendar to get those outfits. She leaves your office.

The next day starts normally. You get to work early, and Natalie is already there with a coffee for you. You work on your case against Wanda, and you do start to wonder if you should be going after her like this. What Natalie said about mixing business with pleasure is getting to you.

You’re interrupted at midday by your clothes for the evening arriving.

“Here you are, Ms. y/l/n,” Natalie says as she hangs your suit in the closet. It’s red velvet and maybe too extra, but you know Wanda will dress to impress. You want to stand out.

“What did you get?” You ask her.

“Oh, just a simple black dress,” Natalie answers.

“Great. Have the driver here at 7pm.”

“Yes ma’am,” Natalie says. She leaves your office again.

That night the driver is right on time. You walk down to the front of the building and Natalie stands next to the car. Your eyes can’t help but see the way her dress frames her hips and breasts. There’s no denying your attraction to her now.

“Good evening, Ms. y/l/n,” she greets you.

“Natalie,” you say. She doesn’t miss the way your eyes rake over her.

You get into the backseat, and she follows after you. She is fielding calls during the drive. Oddly, she doesn’t mention you once and you begin to wonder who she is talking to. The thoughts leave your mind as you arrive at the party.

When you walk in, the attention of the room falls on you. You greet Tony Stark, Steve Rogers, and Carol Danvers. Three attorneys that work with Wanda. If anyone has dirt on the woman, it’s them. But you’re surprisingly cordial with the trio.

Natalie follows behind you as you settle into the party. You find a spot at the bar for a break from the socializing.

“You look stunning,” a voice suddenly comes from behind you. It’s Wanda.

“Fuck you,” you mumble, not even giving her the time of day.

“Hello,” she speaks to Natalie this time. “I’m Wanda.”

You can see Natalie shake her hand out of the corner of your eye.

“I’m Natalie, Ms. y/l/n’s assistant,” she says.

“Right. You look familiar. Have I seen you somewhere?” Wanda asks.

That piques your attention. You turn around to watch the women interact.

“Just the other day at the office,” Natalie quips quickly. A little too quickly.

Wanda is going to say something more but Stark gathers everyone’s attention for a toast. Wanda walks towards the man, leaving you and Natalie at the bar.

“What was that about?” You ask her.

“I have no idea,” she answers. You wonder if she’s lying. If she is, then she’s damn good at it.

Once Tony finishes his speech, he hands off the microphone to Steve. His statement is quick, and full of wisdom like usual. Carol is next and she’s supposed to be last, but Wanda takes the microphone.

You feel Natalie move closer to you.

“As some of you know, I have just closed a huge client,” Wanda begins. Your pace quickens. How could she already be announcing this when nothing is set in stone? You thought for sure you had the client convinced to stay with you. “And I want to celebrate that tonight. Thanks to the rest of the Stark, Rogers, Danvers team for helping me achieve this goal. And thank you to y/n y/l/n for giving up this client.”

You’ve had enough and you charge towards Wanda. Natalie tries to hold you back, but it’s no use.

“What the fuck?” you yell at her. “The client hasn’t signed with you! And they won’t!”

“Oh, but they have,” Wanda says.

“Bullshit,” you reply.

“Bishop,” she calls for her assistant. The young girl hands her a document. “It’s right here.”

“This must be fake,” you counter.

“It’s real. Trust me.”

“Never again,” you say. It’s loaded with meaning. “You’re a fraud.”

You storm out of the ballroom. Natalie follows after you, her presence notable as you enter the bathroom.

“Leave me alone,” you tell her.

“Y/n,” Natalie says. She never addresses you by your first name. “Listen to me.”

You look up to meet her green eyes. She looks worried about you.

“Wanda needed to take that client,” Natalie says. Her words shock you.

“Why? Did you help her?” You get no response. “Natalie, did you fucking help her?”

“Trust me on this one.”

“You’ve given me no reason to. First, you tried to convince me to stop going after her, and now this. Are you working for her? You’re some kind of undercover agent, is that it?”

“I- okay y/n, I am going to be honest with you,” she says.

“About damn time.”

“I work for SHIELD and they assigned me to make sure that Wanda got that client. They have been wanting to go for her for years, but they needed an in. Your client, her client, is up to some shady shit,” Natasha explains.

“What’s your real name?” You ask. She didn’t expect that to be your first question.

“Natasha,” she says. “Natasha Romanoff.”

“Well, Natasha I’m very angry with you,” you say. She nods. She understands. “But I guess I owe you one.”

“I wish we had met under different circumstances,” Natasha says.

“Yeah?”

“Yeah. Maybe then I could’ve made a move on you,” she admits.

You can’t help but smile at that. So, she was flirting all of this time.

“Can I ask if you handed the client over to Wanda?” You ask her. You know the answer. She seems like the kind of woman who knows how to complete a task.

“It was for your own good. And it’s a chance for you to see your ex-wife fall,” Natasha says.

You nod. Your history with Wanda wasn’t widely public, but Natasha found out while digging up dirt on the woman.

“I think you can make this up to me,” you say. Natasha quirks her eyebrow. “You said I would look good in a suit, so do you think I would look good with it off?”

Natasha comes closer to you. You’re pressed against the bathroom sink. Anyone could come in, but you don’t care. The woman reaches out and unbuttons your pants. She slides them down your legs, keeping eye contact the entire time.

“Wait,” you say before she kneels in front of you. She pauses her movements. “Is this a part of the mission?”

“No,” Natasha says. “This is me wanting to make things right with us.”

You gesture for her to continue. Natasha lowers onto her knees and gets right to work. You have no time to waste. And god, is she good at this. Nat licks through your fold and takes your clit into her mouth. She sucks while her fingers find their way into you.

Being here with such a beautiful woman having such risky sex makes it easy for you to come quickly.

“Fuck, Natasha!” You shout as you come hard against her.

She licks you clean and stands back up. She wears a sweet smile.

“That was even better than I imagined,” Nat says.

“Yeah.”

“You imagined it?”

“I imagined bending you over my desk and fucking you until you couldn’t walk,” you tell her. She grins and finally kisses you.

The kiss is filthy as her tongue mingles with yours. You take control and turn her to sit on the counter. Lifting up her dress, you pull her panties to the side and bring your fingers through her wetness.

“Great dress choice tonight, baby,” you tell her.

Nat moans at the feeling of your fingers sliding into her. She is more than ready for you.

“I picked it for you,” Natasha says. “I was hoping this might happen.”

“Mm, bad girl,” you say. Natasha’s body jerks at your words and the feeling of you being deep inside of her. “Did you want me to punish you for lying to me?”

“Yes, fuck yes,” Natasha says. Her voice is raspy.

“I don’t like to be lied to, Natalie,” you use her alias. It turns her on further.

“I’m sorry ma’am,” Nat says.

“You better be,” your voice is cold as you continue to move inside her.

With a few more strokes, Nat comes apart. You keep your fingers moving as she has the best orgasm of her life.

“Fuck, Ms. y/l/n,” Natasha whimpers. “I’m sensitive.”

“One more,” you tell her. She bites her lip. “Tell me if it’s too much.”

“One more,” she agrees.

You move your fingers quicker again. She is already close. When you lean in and kiss her lips, she is done for. All of the days she had imagined doing this with you had finally come to fruition.

“That’s a good girl, Nat,” you say.

You remove your fingers, and she puts them into her mouth. She licks them clean. The sight is downright pornographic.

“Are you sure you can’t stay on as my assistant?” You ask. “I’d love to fuck you like this on my desk every day.”

“How about I be your spy girlfriend?” Natasha asks. You knew she’d recover from her orgasms quickly and have a quippy reply to you.

“Deal,” you say.

Just then the door opens and Wanda walks in. She sees you and Natasha tangled together and your pants down around your ankles.

“You’ve got to be kidding me,” she says, turning around and leaving.

You and Natasha can’t help but chuckle together. A wonderful spy girlfriend she will definitely make.

[hpalways]

"my fate, not yours"

Fandom: Jujutsu Kaisen

Characters: Higuruma Hiromi, Geto Suguru, Gojo Satoru x GN!Reader

Synopsis: Where death lurks at every corner, they push you away to protect you.

Warnings: Slight spoilers from manga.

HIGURUMA HIROMI

In the world of law, strict boundaries were set, whether on the job, in relationships, personal life, and everything that surrounded you as a core of a person. You were there during his aspirations as a defense attorney. The goodness in his heart shone the brightest among the corruption that wormed its way around the courthouse.

It was what led you to fall for him -- a boundary that should never have been crossed as a fellow colleague.

You were then there at his downward spiral, his expression growing darker at the injustice that became so obvious. The moment his curse technique awakened, he had done the deed -- murder the prosecutor and the judge.

And now, here you were, in this Culling Game with Higuruma Hiromi.

"Are you not afraid of me?" he asked you, after you watched him defeat an enemy from the corner of the deserted theater.

"Why should I be? If you were going to kill me, you would've already done so. My death would give you another extension. Besides, are we not colleagues?"

He nodded, his dark eyes softening slightly. "Yes. For the longest time now. You should leave this game, [Name]. Leave and never turn back. You don't have a technique."

"But..."

"What are you sticking around for? Is it because of your feelings for me?"

Your face blossomed in heat as you fumbled with your words. "H-How? How did you know?"

"I'm a lawyer. As are you. We are quite the perceptive people."

You nodded, ashamedly averting your eyes to the dingy floor of the stage. "Well, yes. I have feelings for you. But no, that's not the reason why I'm still here."

"If it's because of this game's rule of being unable to leave, I can change it."

You shook your head. "I can't leave you here alone."

He approached you, in his suit and disheveled look. Worn out at the roots, and his passion in law failing him, you still held comfort around him. He was like a fallen angel -- the devil, simply misinterpreted and unfortunate. You wanted to save him. Wanted him to know that you were by his side, even if the world wasn't.

"Thank you for loving me," he whispered into your ear. He then curved his face, his warm breath hitting your cheek. With that, he leaned in, soft lips pressed like a kind reminder.

A kiss marked by goodbye.

"But don't love me anymore." His smile was bittersweet, but there was no regret in his eyes, for a newfound freedom had reached him. A fallen angel he was, granted by a new set of wings. "I have no place in the court anymore. You... You still have a life outside of this game."

"No one has to know what you've done!" you argued. "You can still continue!"

He shook his head. "I wouldn't be able to live with myself in a sea of lies. This... This is my path."

Your hands fell to your sides, unable to speak, because the second you would, your words failed you. He was not going to budge -- he had already made his mind a long time ago. He was going to play this damn game until the very end. With or without you.

GETO SUGURU

A destiny as dark and grim as his, many could not withstand it. Many could not deal with his thoughts on humanity and beliefs for his version of a better world. Time and time again, he was left and forgotten, a remnant of an unspoken memory that haunted jujutsu society.

Or maybe, he was the one to leave first.

He thought you were a strange sorcerer, the first time you met. Having met on the battlefield, he expected to fight you to the death, assuming you were on the other team, beliefs that were so morally safe that it made him sick to the stomach.

Instead, you threw your hands up in surrender and invited him to tea. He had never been so dumbfounded.

The more he spoke to you, with your open mind and heart, the more he wanted to understand you.

But now... it was time to let that go. It was time to wrap these silly discussions of what ifs and dive into a world of reality. His plan of action, almost after all these long, long years, was finally underway. If he had to sacrifice everything, then so be it.

"We can't meet anymore," he told you.

You blinked in surprise, nearly choking on your cup of tea. "What? Why?"

He smiled calmly, crossing his legs. "It'll be too dangerous to meet."

"And how does that concern me? I'm a sorcerer."

"You will be put in a position you'll regret. Society will be onto you... onto your relations with me," he said. "So forget about me."

You stood up, slamming your hands down on the table, nearly knocking over the cups of tea. "How could say that? After all this time, you're just going to leave?"

It was nothing new. Not the first time he left someone. He had left Gojo Satoru, Shoko Ieiri, everyone at Jujutsu High, and now, you. He shouldn't have gotten close to you in the first place, knowing that his destiny was sealed. So why did he have to go around and be selfish again? Did he miss all those old days with his former best friend? The days that could never be returned?

There was no point reliving the past.

You grabbed his hand, desperation at length. "Fine. Say you do go through with this. Come back alive."

He grinned, the corners of his creasing. "I cannot promise you anything. I am going up against the strongest sorcerer of all time."

His hand dropped to your head, feeling the rustle of your [h/c] head. Your expression darkened, stressed lining your usual carefree face. Upon seeing it, he fought tooth and nail from wanting to comfort you, to whisper you words of assurance. Instead, he pulled away, preparing himself mentally to harden himself again. If he was able to do it once, he could do it again. It would be no different.

"Forget me. And stop being a halfhearted sorcerer."

GOJO SATORU

As the most powerful sorcerer, nothing could stand in Gojo Satoru's way. If so, then why did you have this uneasy feeling at the mention of the ongoing plan for Shibuya?

Being called on deck to help out the sorcerers, he was beginning with his preparations. He was going to leave. Leave you here to your worries, like the selfish being he was. With his overconfidence that nothing could go wrong as long as he was there, he often overlooked the small things that could trigger a domino effect.

His all-seeing eyes still had a blind spot. You knew that better than anyone.

"You're staying here," he said to you. His reminiscent blues eyes stared intensely at you, swirls of storm washing at bay. They spat back at you, mocking you, for your lack of strength. A finger crept up to the blacks of his blindfold, slipping it downward to cover said hues in slumber.

"No... Let me go."

"You'll only get in the way."

You bristled, poking at his chest, which was a little too solid for your liking. "You didn't have to say it like that."

He sighed and then reached his hand out, ruffling your hair into a mess. "I'm just saying. There's a lot of non-sorcerers to deal with. Your technique won't be useful there. And you need to rest up. You just came back from a different mission."

"I'm just getting a bad gut feeling about you, Satoru."

He snorted and pointed at himself for the dramatics. "Me? We're talking about me over here. I will be fine. Aw, so cute though... my little [Name] is worrying about me!"

Pulling you into a hug, he wrapped his arms around you tightly. The familiarity of his soft cologne, earthy and sandalwood, wafted through your nose, spreading past your mind the memories you had with him. The days had flown through like quicksand, too fast for you to catch on.

You were tired of it. Of Gojo Satoru being the strongest. And the burden that came with it.

"Just sit this one out, hmm? I'll be back before you know it."

"What if you also stay out of this one? It could be a trap they had set up."

He stared at you incredulously, his smile dropping instantly. "Don't joke like that. I cannot afford to sit out. This is my responsibility. The fate of Tokyo relies on me."

You hated it.

You hated his recklessness with so called fate.

[monstrousgourmandizingcats]

ik the post was from like a week ago but would like to hear your thoughts on jackie and the prescription drug thing because it really isnt discussed!

Absolutely. Jackie has prooooblems and I really wish they were more openly talked about in the fandom.

So there are at least three references to Jackie abusing prescription drugs in canon. I forget what the third is (I might be misremembering it but I'm pretty sure it's there), but the first two are in "Pilot" and "Blood Hive". The reason why Shauna is asleep during the flight is that Jackie has given her Valium, a benzo (its generic name is diazepam) that in the 70s through 90s was commonly prescribed for anxiety and to an extent still is. What's remarkable about this is the casual way everyone involved treats it; this is consistent in how Shauna and Jackie themselves talk about Jackie's drug use, but the scene also establishes that even Jackie's mother doesn't seem to see any need to monitor her teenage daughter's access to her pills. As Jackie puts it, "Swiped these from my mom's medicine cabinet. Valium. She's got, like, a never-ending supply, so I doubt she'll even notice."

A series of questions already arises here, all of which the show is fascinatingly uninterested in answering, possibly because the screenwriters share Shauna and Jackie's flippant attitude (which is generational, as I'll discuss below) but, I think, likely also because what's implied about the Taylor household here is more disturbing if it's not spelled out. Why does Mrs. Taylor have that much of a med lying around at all times? Has Jackie taken the Valium before? If so, why and how often? (Does she, perhaps, use it to get through sex acts with Jeff?)

The second time this comes up is in the scene in which Shauna and Jackie are discussing their respective Wilderness skills as Shauna butchers one of Nat and Travis's first quarries. Almost everyone in the fandom has favorite bits of this scene, which is full of fantastic Shaunajackie lines and moments, so it's surprising to me that this isn't discussed more, but again, the breathtakingly casual delivery probably goes some way towards distracting the viewer from what's actually being communicated. (It could also be that the line in question here comes immediately before "Wowza, Shipman," which understandably steals the show):

Shauna: Remember when Kiffy Schumacher broke her arm right before we were supposed to go to Whipsplash River, and you told her that if she shared her Percocet, we'd all crash bingo at the Elks Lodge instead? Jackie: Wait. Is this a pep talk? Wowza, Shipman. Wow, that is so not your style.

Uh. Girls? You okay there? "Poppin' Percs" is something Kendrick Lamar accused Drake of earlier this month. The company that makes this drug is currently being pounded in court by the Attorneys General of Ohio, Mississippi, Missouri, New York, and possibly other states too since the last time I checked. You're talking about like it's Pez.

Percocet is a mixture of oxycodone, which is an opioid, and paracetamol, which is a common over-the-counter painkiller (it's called acetaminophen in the US and a few other countries; it's the active ingredient in Tylenol and Panadol). Unlike Valium, oxy is something I've been on in the past--I, like Kiffy Schumacher, had a badly fucked-up arm a few years ago--so I can speak to how it's currently treated in American medical culture. You're given a very small amount of it at once, you pace yourself taking it and alternate it with over-the-counter painkillers unless absolutely necessary, and if you have any left over when you decide you no longer need it, which I did, you surrender whatever pills you still have on you to the police. I know that the current widely accepted view on drug control is that it's wildly overdone in the US, and I agree with that for the most part, but in this case the tight controls on this sort of painkiller are a regulation that was written in blood. And the opioid epidemic is still ongoing; in fact, in some ways it's worse, since people are using black-market opioids now that are even more dangerous than oxy and its ilk.

I do want to stress that Jackie's pattern of drug use isn't unusual for a teenager; in fact, it's pretty classic. "Adolescents....most commonly reported receiving prescription[s] for free from a friend or relative, although significant proportions of adolescents also used their own prescriptions, purchased drugs from a dealer, or took them from friends or family without asking." (The article linked cites data taken in 2006, when the prescription drug abuse epidemic on whose upward slope Jackie lives had plateaued.) I also want to clarify that the cavalier attitude Shauna and Jackie have towards prescription drugs isn't unique to this category of substances; teenagers in the 1990s were much more blasé about controlled substances in general than they are today, and adolescent prescription drug abuse has declined less than most other categories:

(Note the especially massive drop-off in adolescent cigarette use after the turn of the millennium. Lottie in her kinderwhore-meets-Empire Records party outfit diffidently holding a cig is very much an image from the past these days. And yet this isn't entirely a success story; adolescents who are still engaging in substance abuse are OD'ing a lot more than they were thirty years ago.)

I don't really have a conclusion here, because I just want to encourage the fandom to discuss this aspect of Jackie's character, not necessarily to adopt any particular narrativization or interpretation of it. This, then, is the basics on Jackie and prescription drugs. Poor girl.

[fluentmoviequoter]

Lockdown

Pairing: David "Deacon" Kay x fem!reporter!reader

Summary: While covering a court hearing, you get taken hostage with your favorite S.W.A.T. sergeant.

Warnings: spoilers for S.W.A.T. 4x16 "Lockdown"; angst, fluff!!, reader is flirty

Word Count: 2.8k+ words

A/N: This is one of my top 5 favorite episodes and I'm actually planning another rewrite with one of the others! I hope you enjoy and please let me know what you think! (And thank you for telling me how good this episode is, you were 100% right about how good Deacon looked @katamcauley!)

S.W.A.T. Masterlists | Deacon Masterlist | Request Info/Fandom List

Picture from Pinterest

“Here’s your next assignment,” your editor says, laying a paper on your desk. “Civilian is suing the LAPD for damages, and the case is going to court tomorrow.”

“North L.A. County Courthouse?” you ask.

“Yes.” She sighs before adding, “And I already checked. Your favorite distraction isn’t set to testify tomorrow.”

“Boo. Can I have a different assignment?”

You bat your eyelashes as you ask, but she laughs and walks away without answering. Shaking your head, you begin reviewing the facts of the case. Covering court hearings is neither the best nor worst part of your job, but at least you get a break from the office for an hour or two.

✯✯✯✯✯

“So legal affairs confirmed that the defense attorney only needs us as rebuttal witnesses. Should be out of here in no time,” Deacon tells Hondo as they sign in after surrendering their weapons at the courthouse entrance.

“Yeah, okay, Deac,” Hondo answers sarcastically. “When was the last time you got out of court in no time?”

“Today would be the first.”

“Exactly. And it becomes less likely if your friend is working today.”

Deacon rolls his eyes but doesn’t deny it.

“You know, I got to be honest, man, a civilian gets injured in a raid, and the officer who broke down the door admits he was at fault? I’m just not sure how I feel about being called in to testify on behalf of the city,” Hondo states as he walks through the metal detector.

“It’s not anything we haven’t done dozens of times before,” Deacon argues.

“S.W.A.T. was just there for support.”

As Deacon and Hondo near the courtroom door, someone calls, “Sergeants… Tony Jacobs, assistant city attorney. Thanks for coming in early. I know it’s a pain.”

“Eh, it’s not a problem,” Hondo replies, shaking Tony’s hand. “Beats dealing with the morning rush. Hey, listen, you seem to have a good amount of testimony for this case already. Why do you need us?”

“Cut right to the chase, huh? Well, frankly, what this woman is asking for in damages is excessive. Testimony from two S.W.A.T. sergeants could go a long way in the court. Just follow my lead on the stand. We’ll be out of here in a jiff. Our courtroom’s on the third floor.”

✯✯✯✯✯

After finding the courtroom, you sit and sigh in relief. You somehow managed to pick your most uncomfortable pair of shoes today, so you’re glad to sit in the courtroom for a while. Leaning over your notebook and taking a few quick notes, you don’t hear the door open.

Deacon and Hondo enter the courtroom, and Hondo sees you first.

“And he’s gone,” he hums as Deacon notices you.

Someone says your name and the underlying teasing tone alerts you to Sergeant David ‘Deacon’ Kay’s presence behind you. Smiling, you turn to greet him.

“Hello, Sarge,” you say, looking up at him. “You clean up nice.”

Deacon shakes his head before muttering, “So do you.”

“Are you testifying?”

Deacon glances toward the door, where Hondo is talking to the assistant city attorney. “That’s… to be determined.”

“Well, I hope you are because then I don’t have to take very good notes.”

“Why is that?”

“Because,” you whisper, leaning toward him, “it’s a conflict of interest.”

“You’re a journalist,” Deacon says, “I don’t think that applies to you.”

“My editor will beg to differ. If you’re testifying I may spend too long describing your big, brown, puppy dog eyes or how great you look in your suit.”

“Okay,” Deacon interjects, chuckling as he raises his hands. “Easy, Casanova.”

“I can’t help it Sergeant Kay,” you reply, fanning yourself for effect.

Hondo calls him over, and Deacon taps your arm as he says, “See you.”

“Promise?”

He chuckles again as he nods, turning away from you. Looking down, you wish you had chosen a different pair of shoes.

✯✯✯✯✯

“I’d be lying if I didn’t say I was having second thoughts about testifying,” Hondo states. 

“What’s the problem?” Jacobs asks.

“Feels like you’re using S.W.A.T.’s reputation to score points that you can’t get any other way.”

“I’m not asking you to lie, Sergeant.”

“I’m not sure I’m down to be used like that.”

“You’re kidding. You spring this on me right now? You’re a public servant, same as me. We both have obligations to the city.”

“No, we have obligations to the citizens, not the city.”

Jacobs steps away as Deacon approaches.

“You serious about this?” Deacon asks.

“I’m serious, Deacon. I’m just about done with ‘business as usual’ these days.”

Hondo turns to look into the courtroom, but Deacon’s gaze strays to you. You’re the “friend” Hondo referred to, and you and your editor know how you feel about him. If only you could find a way to tell each other.

✯✯✯✯✯

The bailiff walks out of the courtroom, and you turn to watch him exit, your eyes catching Deacon’s as he looks over, too. Deacon and Hondo stand quickly.

“Those are gunshots,” Hondo announces. “Sounds like downstairs.”

Judge Vang presses the alarm on her desk before announcing, “Everyone, stay where you are. This is an active shooter alarm.”

The door closes, and Deacon rushes to it, trying to open it before saying, “It’s locked, won’t budge.”

“Deac,” you call. “The panel on the wall controls the automatic door locks.”

“Your Honor, open that door right now,” Hondo demands.

You walk to Deacon’s side, murmuring, “She can’t do anything to override the lock after pressing the alarm.”

“We have a protocol, Sergeant,” Judge Vang replies. “This is my courtroom. I’m responsible for the lives in it.”

“And we’re responsible for the ones out there!” Hondo says.

Deacon taps your arm, nodding at you before returning his attention to the panel.

Hondo calls Luca, explaining, “Deac and I are locked down in a courtroom on the third floor. Active shooter protocol. The security system’s turned this place in a panic room, and we are stuck without firearms. What’d you find out about the shooters?”

Hondo walks to your side as Deacon pops the control panel open.

“Deac, we got four armed inmates downstairs. Sounds like a barricade situation. Luca, they make any demands?”

“There hasn’t been contact yet,” Luca answers.

Tan reads off their IDs, and you unconsciously lean closer to Deacon.

“We’re flying blind here, Luca,” Hondo says. “Listen, you’re senior man on-site. You are in charge now. The team is in your hands.”

Hondo ends the call, and Deacon continues working on the panel, glancing over at you when you take a deep breath.

The panel beeps as something clicks, and Deacon asks Hondo to try the door.

“You got it, Deac, it’s open,” Hondo whispers.

“Don’t go out there unarmed,” Judge Vange implores.

“We are not doing anybody any good locked in here.”

“I know you’re S.W.A.T. but there’s safety protocols for a reason. It’s best if we all stay put,” Jacobs adds.

“Listen,” Deacon says, stepping away from you. “The two of us are gonna go get the lay of the land. We’ll be back.”

“We will be back,” Hondo promises.

You grab Deacon’s bicep before he can open the door. “Do not get hurt out there,” you demand quietly.

Deacon raises his hand to cover yours where it rests on his arm. “I promise to come back for you. Nothing will happen to me because I won’t let anything happen to you. I’ll knock three times, okay?”

You nod, releasing him and waiting by the door, kicking your shoes off as you impatiently away his return.

✯✯✯✯✯

“Sounds like they’re headed our way, taking hostages,” Hondo says as he and Deacon enter the stairwell.

“They’re desperate,” Deacon adds. “That means they’re dangerous.”

“No one’s safe, we’ve gotta evacuate.”

They enter a hallway as Deacon says, “There’s got to be a fire escape or some way out of here.”

“Deac, check the windows… A building covered in windows and none of them open.”

✯✯✯✯✯

You pace before the door, ignoring the whispers of the other people in the courtroom. Deacon is taking too long, and when he gets back, maybe you should tell him that your flirting isn’t an act, that you really mean it.

✯✯✯✯✯

After the third knock ends, you slowly push the door open, releasing a relieved sigh when Deacon steps inside. He pulls you into a quick hug before announcing, “We’ve got an exit plan. We found a set of windows on the other side of the floor.”

“No way,” Jacobs argues. “We’ll be sitting ducks out there. We’re better off here.”

“Listen to me, all of you,” Hondo calls. “The gunmen are breaking into rooms and taking hostages. They’re gonna be up here very soon. We cannot stay. You’ve got to trust us.”

“No way, I’m not going,” Jacobs replies.

“You’re making a mistake. Come on, let’s go,” Deacon says, ushering people toward the door.

As Deacon leads, you look him over, glad to see he looks exactly the same as when he left. It took getting trapped in a courtroom with him to admit that your obnoxious flirtations are a disguise for how much he truly affects you and how much you care for and adore him.

“I got ya,” Deacon promises as his hand slips into yours, leading you through the empty hallways.

He directs you to the window, bringing up the end of the line. When it’s your turn to jump onto the rescue pad, you stop and push back against Deacon, where his hand rests on your back.

“You aren’t jumping,” you accuse.

“Not yet,” he answers. “We need to help the other hostages.”

“Then I’m not leaving either.”

Deacon looks at Hondo, who only shrugs. He’s not getting in the middle of whatever you and Deacon have going on.

“I know this courthouse better than either of you,” you point out. “I can help.”

“You can stay on one condition,” Deacon answers severely. “Do exactly what I say when I say. If I tell you to run or hide or come back here and jump, you do it.”

You nod, taking Deacon’s hand as you whisper, “I promise.”

“Let’s go then,” Hondo says, pointing back to the window.

“Where are your shoes?” Deacon asks quietly as his hand moves to your lower back.

“I left them in the courtroom,” you answer as if it’s obvious.

✯✯✯✯✯

Running down the stairs behind Deacon, you press your hand to his back as Hondo signals for you to stop. Someone is shooting below you, and you’re glad to be with Deacon.

“We got to go back,” Hondo says.

“Tan’s texting,” Deacon alerts, walking further into an empty room to call him. “We heard gunshots. They firing at you guys?” he asks.

“No, not at us, just the rescue bag,” Luca answers.

Deacon looks over at you, knowing that his only choice now is to keep you close and safe.

“They’re rounding people up in here,” Hondo states. “It looks like all four of these guys are armed now.”

As Deacon and Hondo listen to the deputy explain where the key to the weapon locker is, you trace your eyes over Deacon’s face, letting his very presence keep you calm.

“That’s two floors down,” Hondo muses.

“Won’t be easy with them patrolling,” Deacon agrees.

“We just need time to get our guns, Luca.”

Deacon ends the call, wrapping his arm around you to lead the way.

✯✯✯✯✯

Deacon keeps you between him and Hondo, but after you enter the deputy’s office, he pushes you behind him as he looks through the drawers.

“Hey, that’s our courtroom upstairs,” Deacon points out, looking at the camera monitors. “There’s Jacobs.”

“Deacon,” Hondo breathes out, watching the men take Jacobs. “We should’ve tried harder to get him to come with us.”

“Hey, we didn’t have time. And listen, you deciding not to testify, that wasn’t exactly fair to him.”

“What, that wasn’t fair to Jacobs?” Hondo repeats incredulously. “What about the plaintiff? A city attorney shouldn’t be allowed to take a case and reassign it to bend justice.”

“All right, do some of these guys care more about winning than justice? Yeah,” Deacon admits. “But we got to work within the system.”

“We can’t do that anymore, Deac. What do you think?”

You point to yourself in question, surprised to be pulled into the conversation. Luckily, before you can reply, Deacon finds the key and pulls you into his side as he leads you out.

✯✯✯✯✯

“Door’s busted, they beat us here,” Deacon whispers, an arm extended over your waist as he keeps you against the wall.

“Be careful, they might still be in there,” Hondo warns.

You enter between them, sighing when you see the damage done.

“They have our guns.”

“Tan says Diaz knows we’re here,” Deacon says, looking at his phone.

Adrian Diaz yells, “Harrelson, Kay! We know you fools are down here. If you give up now, we won’t kill you.”

“Deac, give me your phone,” Hondo requests. “Give it to me.”

“Really going to make a call right now, Hondo?” you ask lightly.

Hondo slides the phone into his sock, tugging his pant leg over it. He points at you and then at the ceiling.

“Okay,” Deacon answers, nodding as he pulls you to the desk. 

Deacon stands on the desk, pushing a ceiling tile up and over. Hondo helps you onto the desk, and then Deacon lifts you up into the ceiling, following shortly behind you.

His hand finds yours as you wait in the dark, holding you gently. You listen as Hondo is taken away, and after a moment of silence, Deacon slides the ceiling tile away. He grips the rafter, lowering slowly and silently onto the desk below. Turning, he raises your hands, grabbing your hips and lowering you gently. 

“Are you okay?” he asks, his hands holding you firmly.

Nodding, you let him help you from the desk before following him.

✯✯✯✯✯

Standing beside him, you listen as Deacon calls his team, holding his hand in both of yours.

“Hey, it’s Deacon. Hondo’s been taken,” he reports. “Well, I managed to hide. Hondo gave himself up so we both wouldn’t get caught. We made it to the gun locker, but it was empty. They beat us to it. They were calling for us by name. Not sure how they knew we were here… They took Hondo to courtroom 1, first floor with the other hostages. Listen, I know Diaz set up a deadline. How much time we got? Tell me you guys have a plan… Wait a second, I remember three stairwells…”

You tune him out, preferring to focus on the feeling of him beside you rather than the danger of the situation. Looking down at his hand, you wonder if you’ll get to tell him.

✯✯✯✯✯

“They’re bringing my team in a helicopter,” Deacon whispers, waiting in a stairwell.

“And then what?” you reply.

“Remember your promise.”

You nod, squeezing Deacon’s hand. You trust him, and you will do anything and everything he tells you. Deacon releases your hand kindly, whispering for you to wait as he goes up the stairs.

“We’re good. It’s Deac,” Street whispers.

Deacon gestures for you to join him on the next landing.

“Hey. You all right?” someone asks.

“I’m good,” Deacon answers.

He puts a bulletproof vest over your head before pulling his own on. 

“Stay here.”

“But,” you begin, trailing off when Deacon cups your face in his hands.

“I will come back for you, every time. But I need you to stay here so I know you’re safe.”

You nod, mouthing, “I trust you.”

✯✯✯✯✯

The door bangs open, hitting the wall behind it. You look around the corner slowly, rushing toward Deacon when you see him. He extends his hands, passing you your shoes. Taking them, you immediately drop them as you wrap your arms over Deacon’s shoulders and pull yourself as close as possible to him.

“Thank you for coming back. For keeping me safe,” you say against his neck.

“I’ll always come back for you,” he reminds you, his grip tight around your waist. “Will you let me take you to dinner for your bravery?”

Smiling, you pull back and counter, “Let me make you dinner for saving my life.”

“Good food and good company? Maybe I should save you more often.”

“Or you could just ask me on a date. Everyone else can see that I have a huge crush on you.”

“Let’s see how dinner goes first,” Deacon jokes.

“You’re not very good at this.”

“Then teach me your ways, Casanova,” Deacon replies, leaning forward to catch your lips.

Sighing against him, you’re glad you got this assignment and finally found the courage to admit how you feel about him to yourself. Now you must find a way to tell Deacon how you feel, though you think this kiss is a good start.

[ggomos-maribat]

Soul-Stitching: The Heir and the Guardian

Status: Completed ✅

Synopsis

"I don't think much explanation is needed; the defendant is undoubtedly the villain Hawkmoth!”

An uproar reverberates in the courtroom which the judge silences again.

“That does seem conclusive.” The judge nods. “Does the defense have anything to say?”

“Yes.” Adrien takes the floor, holding up a piece of paper and putting one hand on his hip. “I think we're missing one big point here.” He points at the TV screen, which switches to a masked photo of Hawkmoth. “This is Hawkmoth! He's a grown man and no way a young woman, much less my client. You say that you found evidence in my client's apartment, which could just be circumstantial evidence. The butterflies? My client might be an entomologist.”

-

Step 1: Be accused of terrorizing Paris with magical butterflies

Step 2: Watch Paris fall into chaos

Step 3: Watch the Justice League fall into chaos

Step 4: Attend court trial and-

have Adrien Agreste as your defense attorney?!

[Inspired by #8024 by SimplyAnotherWriter]

Chapter Masterlist

chapter 1: the assassin and his servant

chapter 2: the innocent and the guilty

chapter 3: to remember and forget

chapter 4: freedom and imprisonment

chapter 5: death and revival

chapter 6: to fight and surrender

chapter 7: an end and a beginning

[odinsblog]

BASED HEADLINES

Trump Has 10 Days To Surrender To GA Authorities

Rudy Giuliani, who pioneered the use of RICO when he was a US attorney, indicted on RICO charges

And it’s just the cherry on top that the DA filing the charges, Fani Willis, is a Black woman

“Former President Donald Trump has until Friday, Aug. 25 to voluntarily surrender to authorities in Fulton County, Georgia, where he was indicted Monday, his fourth criminal indictment in five months.

The charges against the 2024 GOP front-runner and more than a dozen others relate to their alleged efforts to fraudulently reverse Trump's 2020 election loss to Joe Biden in Georgia.”

👉🏿 https://www.newson6.com/story/64dc00f471b8ee07468aeb7f/former-president-trump-has-10-days-to-surrender-in-georgia-indicted-for-alleged-fraudulent-election-loss-reversal

[tepkunset]

Thoughts on X-Men 97 S01E02 – Mutant Liberation Begins

TL;DR: X-Men 97’s butchering of the Trial of Magneto is more than just a bad adaptation. It’s an offensive stripping of a core part of the original story and of Magneto’s character.

The Trail of Magneto story arc in the Uncanny X-Men comics is an iconic turn for the character and the team; it is a transformation of an enemy turned friend. But that is not all the story represents. Delving deeper into its layers, one can pull out a lot of messages. The biggest one I relate to is the effects of compound systemic oppression when one has multiple identities marking them as a minority. But that’s missing in X-Men 97’s adaptation… even worse, it actively counters this point.

Before we get into the cartoon’s adaptation, let’s take a look at the comics, first.

The story begins in Uncanny X-Men #199, where Magneto and Kitty Pryde both attend a special reception at the National Holocaust Memorial in Washington, DC. It is here that Kitty is able to reconnect with folks who knew her family, who were victims in the Auschwitz concentration camp, and Magneto reconnects with people he knew there as well. They praise him for helping them survive.

But Freedom Force breaks into the reception and tries to arrest Magneto in the name of the US government. Magneto initially resists: “My land—all the countries of the world—turned their backs on me and mine when we were condemned to Hitler's death camps. Therefore, in return, I have sworn to deny them!” However, when he sees how afraid everyone around him is, he accepts their arrest and agrees to stand trial.

The story continues in Uncanny X-Men #200. Magneto’s trial by the international court of justice begins with England’s Attorney-General claiming there is no such thing as mutant oppression, which we the readers know, is a blatant lie. Despite this, Magneto remains calm, and when it’s his turn to speak, he says the following:

“My dream, from the start, has been the protection and preservation of my own kind, mutants. To spare them the fate my family suffered in Auschwitz and do not tell me such a thing cannot happen again, because that is a lie! You humans slaughter each other because of the colour of your skin, or your faith or your politics—or for no reason at all—too many of you hate as easily as you draw breath, what's to prevent you adding us to that list?!”

But the trial attracts the attention of the Fenris twins; the Nazi offspring of Baron Von Strucker. They are there to kill Magneto, Xavier, and Gabrielle Haller (AKA David Haller’s mother), because she is Jewish and was an enemy of their father. Magneto risks his life to save everyone in the trial from them, but Xavier’s heart gives out and he nearly dies in Magneto’s arms, until he’s whisked away by his alien girlfriend who says she can save him. Xavier makes Magneto vow to stand with the X-Men and teach the New Mutants in his absence.

So, let’s keep in mind how intertwined Magneto’s Jewish and mutant identities are in this story; how they interact and shape his views and actions together. Because X-Men 97 is about to take all that away.

In X-Men 97 S01E02, when Val Cooper and the UN show up to arrest Magneto, he surrenders peacefully to try and gain the X-Men’s trust. And Magneto’s speech is very different from that of the comics:

“As a boy, my people's homes were burned to ash, because we dared to call God by another name. Then, my people hunted me with those who had once hunted them. I was a freak, born a mutant. An abomination to their misnamed gods. In history's sad song, there is a refrain. Believe differently, love differently, be of different sex or skin, and be punished. We sing this song to one another. The oppressed become oppressors.”

And it is not the Fenris twins who show up, but just generic Friends of Humanity baddies, led by X-Cutioner.

This adaptation may contain the surface-level story beats of the original, but it misses the heart of the matter; it misses the point!

Magneto’s cartoon speech separates him from his Jewish community. That is something the Magneto I know would never do. In the comics, his part about how humans are always killing each other speaks much more volumes, because he is speaking about his experience not just as a mutant, but as a Jewish person who has survived genocide. Magneto, or anyone with more than identity, does not have to choose between them. This show now says otherwise.

What I hate most of all about his cartoon speech though, is the line, “the oppressed become oppressors.” This is straight up cloaked white supremacist rhetoric; the fear that if racial/ethnic minorities are given equal rights, we will take over and start oppressing white settlers. And no, I’m not saying minorities are exempt from carrying prejudices against others, obviously. What I’m saying is, oppression is a systemic problem that largely stems from colonialism, and to paint oppressed people as a danger that needs to be oppressed or will oppress you, is a terrible idea used by colonizers to justify the system of colonialism. It is not based on fact.

The message of Magneto’s speech in the comics is that he has personally suffered from the hands of oppression before, and does not want others to suffer more. The message of magneto’s speech in the cartoon is that all people are bad, end of story. There is no nuance, there is no larger context at play, and there is no real grit to the words said! They have de-clawed Magneto’s character, and they have ripped away what he stands for… who he stands for.

[mariacallous]

A New York federal judge denied bail to Sean “Diddy” Combs at an arraignment hearing on Tuesday (Sept. 17), leaving the once-powerful rapper and music executive behind bars as he awaits trial on sweeping allegations of sexual abuse.

The charges, unsealed earlier on Tuesday, accuse Combs of running a decades-long racketeering conspiracy that included sex trafficking, forced labor, kidnapping, arson and bribery. If convicted on all the charges, he potentially faces a sentence of life in prison.

At an initial hearing Tuesday in front of a packed Manhattan courtroom, Combs formally pleaded not guilty to each of the three charges he’s facing. His attorneys also requested that he be released on a $50 million bond, saying he’d surrender his passport and submit to constant monitoring.

But according to the Associated Press, Magistrate Judge Robyn F. Tarnofsky ultimately sided with prosecutors, who had warned that the billionaire executive still posed a flight risk and might intimidate witnesses if released. She ruled that Combs attorneys had not overcome the “presumption” that defendants in such serious cases should remain behind bars.

Combs, also known as Puff Daddy and P. Diddy, was once one of the most powerful men in the music industry. But he’s faced a flood of civil lawsuits in recent months over allegations of sexual abuse, starting with a high-profile case last year from his former longtime girlfriend Cassie Ventura. That lawsuit quickly settled, but it was later corroborated by a widely shared video of Combs assaulting Ventura at a hotel.

In Tuesday’s indictment, prosecutors accused Combs of running a sprawling criminal operation aimed at satisfying his need for “sexual gratification.” The charges detailed “freak offs” in which Combs and others would allegedly ply victims with drugs and then coerce them into having sex with male sex workers, as well as alleged acts of violence and intimidation to keep victims silent.

“For decades, Sean Combs … abused, threatened and coerced women and others around him to fulfill his sexual desires, protect his reputation and conceal his conduct,” prosecutors wrote in the indictment. “To do so, Combs relied on the employees, resources and the influence of his multi-faceted business empire that he led and controlled.”

Ahead of Tuesday’s hearing, both sides submitted detailed arguments to the judge on whether Combs should be detained until his jury trial, which could still be months away.

Combs’ defense lawyers said he was “eminently trustworthy” and had demonstrated “extraordinary” cooperation by flying to New York to allow himself to be arrested on Monday. They offered to post a $50 million bond, submit to house arrest with GPS monitoring, and even to sell his private jet.

“Sean Combs has never evaded, avoided, eluded or run from a challenge in his life,” his lawyers wrote. “He will not start now. As he has handled every hardship, he will meet this case head-on, he will work hard to defend himself, and he will prevail.”

But prosecutors argued back that Combs was a “serial abuser” who had a history of both violence and witness intimidation, raising the prospect that he might attempt to obstruct the case against him. They also said that he still posed a flight risk even under his proposed conditions, citing his “seemingly limitless resources” and the looming threat of a lifetime prison sentence.

“In short, if the defendant wanted to flee, he has the money, manpower, and tools to do so quickly and without detection,” prosecutors wrote. “The defendant’s lack of access to his passport or private jet would not negate the fact that the defendant could easily buy his way out of facing justice.”

Following Tuesday’s hearing before a magistrate judge, Combs is set for an initial pretrial conference next week before Judge Andrew L. Carter, Jr., the federal district judge who will oversee the trial.

[copperbadge]

Radio Free Monday

Good morning everyone, and welcome to Radio Free Monday!

Ways to Give:

lilly_c has been off work for several months and is struggling to cover expenses with the small amount of sick pay aid she is getting; she is fundraising to cover bills for the next two months. You can read more and support the fundraiser here.

like-the-midnight-sun is fundraising on behalf of her wife, Veronika, a queer Jewish programmer, game designer, and teacher, who needs oral surgery after having a badly fractured tooth removed; she now needs a bone graft and the tooth rebuilt, and insurance is only covering a small amount of the cost. You can read more and support the fundraiser here.

Anon linked to fundraising info for foster fathers Chip and Zach, who have raised their eight year old daughter Emily since birth. When they applied to adopt her this year, Emily's biological father sued for full custody and they were forced to surrender her; they have filed an appeal and have 30 days to raise $15K in attorney fees and court costs in order to have a chance to get Emily home with her dads. You can donate via cashapp at $ChipPalmer, Venmo at Zpalmer24, or PayPal at zacharyapalmer@icloud.com.

gwydion is recovering from a total shoulder replacement and zir washing machine has just broken; ze cannot carry laundry and is also looking at a costly car repair that will wipe out anything not already taken by insurance and rent. You can donate to help out here.

krja is fundraising to purchase a tallit for his birthday this year, a huge gender-affirming step he has been dreaming of; you can read more and find giving information here.

Recurring Needs:

thelastpyler is raising funds to help with food, transportation, and other expenses after a string of financial issues; you can read more, reblog, and find giving information here.

loversdoom is a college student from the Philippines, studying away from her family, and her parents are unexpectedly unable to support her education; she is dealing with a number of expenses and is now looking at a costly dental procedure for pain that is causing her to miss school and work. You can give to the fundraiser here.

Anon linked to a fundraiser for prototrans, a disabled artist who needs help with rent money; they are also offering commissions. You can read more, reblog, and find giving and commission information here.

Anon linked to a fundraiser for killiel, who needs help to cover bills and debt; you can read more, reblog, and find giving information here.

chingaderita's partner recently lost their job due to a house fire that also destroyed the house; they're raising funds to keep food on the table for a family of nine, to try and get a supply of water to keep clean and do laundry, and for various bills until they can find new work. You can read more, reblog, and support the fundraiser here.

Anon linked to karla-hoshi or Hoshi on TikTok, who is raising funds for cancer treatment for her cat Naku; they caught the cancer early and hope that he can survive it, but can't continue treatment without funding. You can read more and support the fundraiser here, as well as find links to her updates on tiktok.

And this has been Radio Free Monday! Thank you for your time. You can post items for my attention at the Radio Free Monday submissions form. If you're new to fundraising, you may want to check out my guide to fundraising here.

[reasonsforhope]

"A New York grand jury has indicted Donald Trump on allegations linked to a business records investigation related to a "hush money" payment made to adult film star Stormy Daniels. Trump is the first former president in U.S. history to face criminal charges. His attorney Susan Necheles confirmed the indictment. No other details have been released yet.

The specific charge or charges have not yet been made public, and one Trump attorney told CBS News his legal team is "still waiting to learn" details of the indictment.

Manhattan D.A. Alvin Bragg's office said in a statement that it had contacted Trump's attorney "to coordinate his surrender to the Manhattan D.A.'s office for arraignment on a Supreme Court indictment, which remains under seal," and more guidance would be provided "when the arraignment date is selected." ...

The case stems from a payment made just days before Trump was elected president in 2016. His former attorney, Michael Cohen, arranged a $130,000 wire transfer to Daniels to buy her silence about an alleged affair...

The indictment comes as Trump faces other potential criminal cases. In Fulton County, Georgia, District Attorney Fani Willis is mulling charges in an investigation into alleged efforts by Trump and more than a dozen of his allies to undermine [Georgia]'s results in the 2020 election, which he lost to President Joe Biden. A special purpose grand jury conducted a six-month probe last year and delivered a report with its findings to Willis in January. The majority of that report was ordered sealed, at least until charging decisions are made.

In Washington, D.C., special counsel Jack Smith is overseeing two Justice Department investigations into alleged efforts to interfere with the lawful transfer of power following the 2020 presidential election, and Trump's handling of sensitive government documents [note: specifically top secret, classified documents] found at his Mar-a-Lago home and possible obstruction of efforts to retrieve them."

-via CBS News, 3/30/23

TRUMP'S BEEN INDICTED

And by the way he is going to have to surrender himself to the Manhattan DA's office...

Where he will be arrested, fingerprinted, and have his mug shot taken.

(Obviously/sadly he's going to be released instead of held in jail until trial, but STILL)

-via BBC News, 3/30/23

[ghxstlly]

I've been dying to know, What exactly is the resolve of one of your posts you made for the attorney au, "Ego Death".

What exactly happens afterwards?

What happens afterwards? Some... not so good stuff.

Fair warning, I'll be going into some detail about things pertaining to depression and alcoholism and such below the cut.

There's a reason I gave 'Ego Death' that name. Following that spat, the argument where Mr. Becker finally put his misguided, betrayed feelings out in the open and essentially told Mr. Poole he never wants to see him again, Mr. Poole fell into the deepest depression episode he'd ever had.

He felt really just... worthless. He fell almost completely apart, spending a huge amount of time just... laying in bed, crying, working himself up to the point of vomiting and trying to cope with the fact that he'd hurt the one person he'd gotten so attached to, and made him hate him.

He made himself so scared, in fact, that after taking some time off from work to... grieve, we'll call it, he never actually went back, putting himself on a voluntary suspension so as to make sure Becker wouldn't have to see him again. There's some other important details around here, too, that I'll leave for later, as I'm actually in the middle of writing a follow-up to Ego Death, when June realizes he hasn't been at work for awhile and tries to find him. Keep an eye out for that :)

Mr. Becker wasn't doing much better. Right after their argument, he went home and got himself hammered, like always, but was unprepared for the sheer amount of pain he found himself in when he was no longer in a state of mind to keep it under control and hidden from himself.

He was wrecked— in his drunken state he could hardly believe what he'd let himself do, all kinds of horrible frustrations, almost all with himself and his situation, reaching a fever pitch, and the result was probably one of the most volatile fits of rage he'd ever had.

But the next day— he went back to work as if nothing had happened, burying everything he was REALLY feeling under his misdirected indignance and keeping himself distracted with his job.

It wouldn't be until June found out about what had happened from Mr. Poole some month and a half later that anything changed— calling in a few favors, she made the risky decision to talk to Chief Justice Villeneuve and get Mr. Becker suspended from work for a little while so he'd be forced to face his reality— a period of time wherein he nearly self-destructed, drinking to the point of it being almost dangerous, until he eventually gave up trying to fight it and surrendered to June's support.

So... to make a long story into a short-ish one, they were... really not super okay for a couple months after that whole thing went down. :') ;;